Adjustable shaft.



A. M. KUHL."

ADJUSTABLE SHAFT.

. APPLICATION FILED (M1120, 1913.

1,079,865, Patented Nov. 25,1913.

Inventor m uonnls PETER! can mam-umoqyunmcmm a c.

Attorneys .ALPHONS M. KUHLOF CARROLL, IOWA.

-ADJUSTABLE SHAFT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 21), 1913. Serial No. 743,175.

To all :whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALPHONS M. KUHL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Carroll, in thepounty of Carroll and State of Iowa, haveinvented anew and useful Adjustable Shaft, of which the followlng 1s aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in adjustable shafts.

The primary object of the invention 1s to provide a mechanism, in whichthe shaft may be moved laterally with respect tothe thills, while thevehicle is moving, in order that the draft animal may traverse a pathother than the middle of the beaten path, the vehicle maintaining itsline of travel in the beaten path. I

With the foregoing andother objects 1n view which will appear asthedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of'par-ts and in the details of construction. hereinaftermore fully described and claimed, it being understood that changes inthe'precise embodiment of the inventionfherein disclosed, can be madewithin the "scope of what is claimed, without-departing from the spiritof the invention.

In the-drawingszFigure 1 isa'top plan view, the shaft being shown indotted lines as moved laterally with respect to the thills.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view. Fig. is aperspective view of the yokewhich 18 se-.

curedto the shaft supporting bar and which embraces bars which connectthe thills. Fig.

4 is a section taken on the line 44 of Fig.v

1. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 6 is a detail view of thelatch member.

In the drawings 10 designates the 'thills' said slots. receiving pins 25carried by the.

shaft 26, the pins 25 being supported by brackets 27 which are securedto the shaft. Thus the shafts are supported for free sliding movementwith respect to the bars.

The rib 17 is maintained in the groove 16 by means of the yoke 29 whichis formed with the extension 30 which embraces the rod 14, the extension31 extending transversely of the under face of the bar 11, beingconnected to bar 18, a strap 32 being secured to the adjacent portion ofthe shaft, attention being called to the fact that the terminals of thisstrap may be bent'to form the brackets which support the pins 25. Apluralit-y of verticallydisposed posts '32 connecttheportions33 and 34of the yoke, said posts being braced by the terminals'35 and 36' of theplate 37, this plate 37 being formedwith the ektension'38which hasan-end portion 39 resting upq t the bar 11 and the portion 40 pivotallysupporting the swingletree 19. The bar '18 and theflshafts supportedthereby are disposed for sliding movement with respect to the bar 11,the barsas before Patented Nov. 25, 1913'.

stated being held together by'the yoke which I embraces -the rod 14.Thus the shafts may be moved to either side of the vehiclein order toallow the "draft animal to travel a pa'th-other than the central pathbetween the wheel ruts. The yoke is held in its ad justed position bythe latch member 39 the terminal 40 of which is offset and provided withthe extension 41 which when the latch member is brought tolocking-positionenters an opening 42 in the strap 43, said strap 43being secured to the bar- 11 and having its offset terminal 44 securedto the thills, the other terminal 45-01:" the latch member being ofl'setand disposed at an angle with respect to the body portion 39', the samebeing arranged to embrace the bar 14, being manipulated bythe terminal45. When this latch member is moved to embrace the bar 14 "the same willdraw the shafts carrying bar in contact with the bar 11 to maintain theshafts carrying member in fixed position with relation to said bar. Thelatch member is provided adjacent its ofi'set terminal 40 with trunnions46 which are supported with in the sleeves 47 formed integral with orsecured to the plates 37 of the yoke, the

latch member thus being pivotally supported bvsaid yoke, the same'beingsufiiciently resilient' to engage the rod 14, and be held in rigidcontact or engagement. with the same. Thus it will be noted that theshafts carrying bar may be moved laterally with respectto the vehicleand maintained in any desired position with respectto the ban-which issup-.

portedby the thil-ls. lit/will be noted that mechanism may. be appliedto vehicles now.

in use without materially altering their construction.

WVhat is claimed is l. A draft attachment, comprising a stationary barsupported by the thills of a vehicle, a bar disposed insliding relationto the first mentioned bar, said second ba-r supporting the shafts, arod connecting the thills, a yoke carried by the sliding bar andembracing said rod, and a latch member carried by said yoke for lockingthe same at any point along said bar.

2. A draftattachment, comprising a stationary bar, supported by thethills of a vehicle,'abar disposed in sliding relation to the firstmentioned bar, said bar supporting the shafts, a. link connectionbetween the stationary bar and the shafts, and ayoke carried by thesliding bar, a rod connecting the thills, said yoke embracing said rodto maintain the sliding bar and-the stationary bar in engagement. i

3; A draft attachment, comprising a stationary bar, said bar beingformed with a groove, a sliding shaft supporting bar, said bar beingarranged with a tongue adapted to enter the groove of the other bar, alink connection between the stationary bar and the shafts, a yokesecured to the slidin bar, arod connecting the'thills, the yoke beingformed with extensions which embrace said rod, a plate supported by saidyoke and arranged to contact with the stationary bar,

- and a latch member pivotally supported by said yoke and arranged tocontact with said rod, tolock the yoke against lateral movement thereon.

4:. A draft attachment comprising a stationary bar connecting the thillsof a vehicle, a bar disposed in sliding relation to the first mentionedbar, said bar supporting the shafts of the vehicle, acurved slotted linkpivotally supported by the stationary bar and having a slidingconnection with the sliding bar, a yoke supported by the sliding bar,said yoke being formed with extensions, a rod connecting said thills andbeing embraced by said extensions, a plate Copies of this patent may beobtained for supported by said extensions and supported in contact withthe stationary bar, an extension being formed integral with said plateand being extended above the sliding bar to form a support for theswingle tree, the plate adjacent said extension being bent to formbearings, and a latch member, said latch member being formed withtrunnions which extend in said bearings, said latch member beingarranged to embrace said bar to lock the yoke against longitudinalmovement on the bar.

5. A draft device comprising a stationary bar connecting the thills of avehicle, a shaft supporting bar disposed in sliding relation to thefirst mentioned bar, a link connectin the shafts supported by thestationary and sliding bars, said link havin a pivotal connection withthe stationary bar and a sliding connection with the shafts, a yokesecured to the sliding bar, a rod connecting the thills, said yoke beingformed with extensions which embrace said rod, a plate supported by saidyoke and arranged to con tact with the stationary bar, and a latchmember carried by said yoke and arranged to embrace said rod to hold theyoke against longitudinal movement on the rod;

6. A draft device comprising a bar connecting the thills of a vehicle, abar disposed in sliding relation with the first mentioned bar, shaftssupported by said bar, a yoke supportedby said bar, posts supported bysald yoke, a plate, the terminals of which embraoe said posts, saidplate intermediate its ends being formed with an extension whichcontacts with the stationary bar and which is disposed above the slidingbar to form a support for the swingletree arranged thereon, said plateon either side of said extension, being formed with bearings, a latchmember formed with trunnions which extend within said bearings,theterminal of said latch member remote from the plate being offset, arod connecting the thills, the terminal of said latch member be ingarranged to embrace said rod to maintain said yoke against longitudinalmovement on said rod.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, Ihave hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALPHONS M. KUHL.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH J. MEYERS, ADAH M. CLEMENTS.

fivecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

